Where I'm Meant to Be
by xonceinadream
Summary: Steve has spent his life in his tower, believing that he was created in a HYDRA laboratory to be a super soldier for mankind. Winter is an orphan, a thief and assassin for HYDRA. When they meet, Steve blackmails Winter into taking him to see the fireworks from the kingdom. Along the way they both learn about life, love, their future and their pasts.
1. Chapter 1

**So this will follow the movie pretty closely with a few key changes that will make the ending different. While writing, it does seem rather rushed but I realize that Tangled itself is rather rushed relationship-wise so I was hesitant to change too much. I did had a lot of fun writing this with Steve and Bucky in the roles of Flynn and Rapunzel.**

 **Also, I say this a lot but this story is fully written and even edited before the first chapter is posted so it won't take me my entire life to finish it.**

* * *

 _This is the story of how I almost died. Repeatedly. Don't worry. This is actually a very fun story and the truth is, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a boy named Steve and how we both got away from one of the longest running terrorist organizations in the world. Sounds fun, right?_

 _Now, once upon a time, there was a group of men who wanted to take over the world. They had their own reasons, as most people who want to take over the world do, but they were all wrong ones. This group became known as HYDRA and they are Bad News. You'll learn some more later. Just take my word for it._

 _But to the important part of the story. Centuries passed and a hop, skip and a boat ride away there grew a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen who gave birth to a little baby boy. (Steve. Steve is the little baby boy). To commemorate his birth, the kingdom launched fireworks into the air. A flurry of colors, mostly the kingdom's colors of red, white and blue, to celebrate the re-birth of a nation._

 _The prince was adorable, of course. Unfortunately Steve was also sick… really sick. Doctors from all over came to try to help him. Scientists and magicians and anybody who might help this little boy survive. Eventually there came one, Doctor Abraham Erskine. He said that he had an experimental serum that might help. Steve was on the verge of death and so the desperate Queen and King agreed._

 _There was a private ceremony and the King and Queen waited with bated breath to hear whether their son had been cured of his ailments. Unfortunately, a HYDRA agent by the name of Alexander Pierce was also there. Pierce had been working with the kingdom for years as an undercover operative and now was his time. After the serum had been administered but before anybody could do anything, Pierce shot Erskine and took off with the prince._

 _The kingdom searched and searched but they could not find the prince. For, past the ice on the edge of the water, deep in the forest, in a tower high up and hidden, Alexander Pierce and HYDRA raised Steve to be a soldier. They knew that not only did Erskine's serum make him healthy but it made him strong, it made him capable. And they were going to hone that power for themselves._

 _The walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year, on his birthday, the King and Queen released fireworks into the sky. They always hoped that one day their lost prince would return. And from his tower, Steve was drawn to those fireworks, always feeling that there's something important he should know about them._

Steve sits cross-legged in the middle of the floor, listening to the flutter of wings around him. "Three… two… one," he says out loud, making sure that he's loud enough for the bird to hear him. As soon as he's stopped counting, he shoots to his feet, glancing around the small room. He knows it better than the back of his hand, although he's spent plenty of time studying that too. After 18 years here, he knows just about everything that there is to know about it.

It's not even a challenge playing hide and seek with the falcon that is his constant companion. "Found you," he says as he pulls the blanket up from his bed and sees the bird perched underneath the mattress. "Redwing, you're too easy."

He doesn't remember when Redwing became his companion. As far as he knows the bird has been with him since he was created. None of the agents who constantly come to check on him know about Redwing or else he would assume that he was a present from them. However the bird came to be with him, Steve is grateful to have somebody who cares about Steve, and not just because he's meticulous about his schedule.

A chime goes off and Steve glances up at the clock in the corner, letting out a slow breath. It's 8:00 AM on the dot which means that it's time for his workout. He looks longingly at the walls and bookshelves and every other thing that he could be doing other than working out. It's not that he doesn't enjoy it sometimes but the schedule that they have him on means there's little time for anything else.

"You going to box with me, Redwing?" Steve asks, not expecting a response but needing to pretend that there's somebody else up there with him. Otherwise he'd probably go crazy.

Pierce has explained that Steve doesn't need human company because strictly speaking, Steve isn't a human himself. Sure, he came from the biological material of humans but he was made in a HYDRA laboratory to make the world a better place. Pierce has shown him videos of wars and explosions and various bad things that people have done. When Steve is just a little bit older, when he's _ready_ , he will be a soldier for the human race.

The falcon, predictably, doesn't answer and so Steve positions himself in front of the bag, ready to begin his morning workout. He has a strict schedule, decided on and periodically checked by various HYDRA agents. He's even been visited by Baron von Strucker a time or two, to the utter pleasure of Alexander Pierce. It hadn't been special to Steve since it had just meant extra cooking and cleaning for him.

The chimes of the clock, the sound of his fists hitting the punching bag, the gentle flutter of Redwing's wings. That seems to consume Steve's life and he winces as he strikes harder and harder, groaning when the bag goes flying across the room, knocking over the table that his chess board had been sitting on.

"Pierce is going to kill me," Steve mutters, turning to shoot Redwing a glare at the bird's sound of concern. "To be fair, that is the fourth bag this week."

He figures it doesn't matter that much considering they always have it replaced by the end of the day. How? He's not quite sure. But it's always taken care of.

"Well, I do have 42 minutes left until I have to stretch. May as well do some painting."

One of the only pleasures in Steve's day is this, the way that the paints mix effortlessly, the way that the paint seems to come to life on the walls. He's covered up the walls with different pictures so many times that he's sure the wall is inches thicker than it was when it was built. There's not much else for him to do, though.

The pictures that he's never covered up include the bright lights that illuminate the sky on his birthday every year. He's made a rainbow of explosions with his brushes and he grabs the red paint to touch up some memories from the previous year. 364 days. He keeps a tally on a notebook by his bed. It's his dream journal. Sometimes he gets flashes, thoughts, ideas. Most of the time he writes them down. Sometimes he doesn't bother.

Sometimes he wonders when he's going to get to leave the tower. Sometimes he's afraid of what will happen when he does. He wants to help mankind, be the soldier that they need, but he's scared. Sometimes he wonders. Sometimes he worries. Most of the time, he focuses on his schedule. It's easier than wondering.

Winter adjusts his goggles, his eyes narrowing behind them. He has a group of soldiers around him but he has no idea their names. He doesn't care. All he cares about is finishing this mission and them maybe letting him get home for a few days. Sometimes he thinks that the dingy apartment that he resides in isn't home but it's the closest thing that he has. Ever since his mom and his sister had died, HYDRA has been his family and his home.

"Two men on the roof. Two more on the-"

"Shut up," Winter growls, sure that the three idiots next to him are about to give away their position. He had wanted to come on this mission alone but for some ridiculous reason Pierce had told him to come with the others. And now Winter can see that they're never going to get through this unscathed.

The man next to him is breathing too heavy, can't even seem to hold his gun straight. Why did Winter get stuck with the incompetent idiots? Why?

"There's a-"

Winter curses loudly as the man that they're supposed to be assassinating and then walking away from turns to them and pulls out a gun of his own. "You bastard," Winter shouts in the direction of the agent who had given them away and, for good measure, shoots him through the temple.

Fortunately they already have the vial that they'd come to acquire and so Winter doesn't stay to be shot at. He's sure that he could take care of this if he was on his own but the damn agent that he hadn't shot yet has stepped in front of him and tripped. He had tripped. Winter doesn't know what damn training he went through but obviously it wasn't the same as Winter's.

"Stay where you are!"

Winter rolls his eyes. "That'll happen," he mutters because sometimes he's still the snappy kid that he was years ago. Not often. But sometimes.

There's no use hanging around and so Winter jumps from the rooftop to the next one and then the next, figuring that HYDRA can take care of this themselves. It's not his fault that they didn't let Winter do this alone. If they had then it would be done by now. He still has the vial in his pocket and he really should give it back to HYDRA but damn it, he's pissed that he's _still_ getting shot at by the idiot in the red suit.

"Soldier, wait!"

That's a HYDRA agent but Winter ignores them, barely wincing as he takes a rolling jump off the building and lands in the grass. It only takes him a moment to regain his breath and then he runs again. Winter knows that he shouldn't. Every ounce of his training is telling him to stay where he is and kill the man he was supposed to but he's angry. He's angry. How odd.

Blood pounds in Winter's ears, making his head ache with it. He has to… he has to… It seems like time slows down as he runs, through grass and water and he doesn't even shiver as he realizes that he's going through the coldest parts of the water. "Fuck. Fuck," he whispers, panting as he recognizes that he's going to have to stop eventually.

Nobody's in pursuit of him anymore which works just as well. Now he needs to find a place to collect his thoughts because right now, in this moment, he doesn't know what to do.

As expected, Pierce isn't happy about the punching bag and he lets Steve know it. The younger man winces but takes it, knowing that perhaps he'd been punching too hard.

"Yes. It won't happen again, Sir. I apologize," Steve says, resisting the urge to add anything under his breath. He only saves that for special occasions since somehow the HYDRA agent always seems to know when he mumbles.

"Well good. We've already put enough money into you for several lifetimes, Soldier. We don't need to keep replacing punching bags," Pierce says as he grabs one of the grapes from the counter and pops it into his mouth.

Steve's mutinous stomach tells him that that's one less grape for his dinner and he tries not to think about it. He's never denied foods that he needs but his diet is as strict as his schedule. There's no room for sweets in his life, not like the kinds that he reads about.

"Now, do you have anything further before I leave?" Pierce asks. "HYDRA has deemed you nearly ready. Soon the world will see what it's missing."

It kills Steve not to respond the way that he wants to. His muscles ache from the intense training that Pierce had put him through. His jaw hurts from where Pierce had hit him with a steel bar when Steve wasn't fast enough to block him. He wants to sleep but he knows that he can't since he still needs to eat and train tonight. Being a super soldier doesn't come overnight, he knows. It doesn't make the training any easier.

Then the last part catches up to him and his head jerks up to look at the man. "I'm nearly ready?"

"That is what I just said."

Steve looks up in frustration before looking back at the HYDRA agent, still picking off his grapes. "When? How long? I was thinking-" Then Steve cuts himself off because he's learned that he won't help his cause by asking when he's going to get to go. But… if it's coming soon… just a question won't hurt right?

"Spit it out," Pierce says in a frustrated tone.

The soldier takes a deep breath, trying to steel his nerves. He knows that he wants to ask this but he's never had much luck asking before. Besides, he wants to do good for the world. He wants to be the super soldier that they've been training him to be. "What about the day after tomorrow? For my birthday?"

Pierce raises his eyebrows, looking at Steve in that critical way that he always looks at him. "You think that you're going to get something out of going outside? You're not going out for a joyride. You're going out to protect mankind."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it, right? I want to help people. I'm not saying that I don't. But I can help people and see the explosions of color all on my birthday."

Before Pierce even responds, Steve knows what he's going to say. It makes Steve swallow hard and he wishes that he was different. Perhaps if he was normal like everybody else he'd get the chance to see the world the way that they do. But Steve is different and he has an obligation to the world. He has to help people. "No."

That's it. Just one word but it seems to crush Steve and he slumps in the chair that he's sitting in, frowning. "Why?"

"Why? You ask why? What kind of question is that? You won't be enjoying any colors. You will be taking part in the missions that you are assigned. You don't get a birthday. You are not a person. You are a soldier," Pierce responds. It's all things that Steve has heard before but it still hurts. It still makes him draw in a breath and look away, too wary to look at him much longer.

Steve wants to say something else but after a tense moment of silence he just nods. "Alright. I understand."

That should be enough and Pierce nods, grabbing another handful of grapes, ignoring the way that Steve's stomach grumbles loudly. "Good. I'll be back tomorrow to check on your progress."

Steve looks down at his hands, blood smeared on the knuckles, although the scrapes have already closed due to the serum running through his blood. He doesn't say anything as Pierce leaves, doesn't say anything as Redwing flies back in through the tower window to sit on his shoulder.

He doesn't say anything until later, when it's time for him to go to bed. "Well, we can always watch them from the tower again. It's not like that's a bad way to pass the time," Steve mumbles to the falcon perched next to his bed.

Redwing lets out a little sound of agreement and Steve rolls over to pull the pillow over his head, closing his eyes. He has a feeling tonight will be one that he has plenty of dreams.

Winter doesn't know when he fell asleep, just that apparently sometime in the night he did. It takes him only a few seconds to realize why he woke and he jerks up, hearing the sound of footsteps. If he was optimistic he'd believe that it was just some passerby but Winter's never been that lucky.

It's only because he has super senses that he can hear the whispering from outside the trees and he puts a hand to his head. He doesn't get headaches much and it hurts worse than it probably should. He tears off his goggles, tossing them to the ground but it helps very little. Winter blinks once, twice, then one more time, make sure that the vial is still in his pocket and then carefully moves.

The area seems to be abandoned, remote enough that nobody from the kingdom comes out often. Going through the frozen waters is dangerous and Winter is surprised that he was followed at all. He's silent as he walks, careful not to step on the many branches and twigs that litter the green grass.

It's purely by luck that the other man sees him and he freezes when they lock eyes. "Stop. You're the one who stole that vial. You're under arrest."

"You think you can catch me?" Winter asks, pulling the vial out just to taunt the frustrated looking man. He doesn't risk his luck, though, shoving the vial quickly back into his bag and taking off in a run.

Immediately he feels an ache in his body due to the fact that he had run so far yesterday. He's trained but it doesn't mean that he's invincible. He still feels pain and right now it threatens to down him.

"Stop!"

Winter refuses to be arrested, though, and so he keeps running.

The bag bumps against his hip and he reaches down to grab it, looking down for only a moment. The second that he looks up, he skids to a halt in the dirt, nearly tumbling over as he tries to compensate for the movement.

There's the man that had told him to stop the first few times. He's dressed in what looks like military clothing, black armor with a deep red shade near his shoulders. His dark skin shines with sweat and Winter is glad that at least he's not the only one who seems to be having trouble with all of the running.

"You're going to give me that bag and you're going to come with me or else," the man says in a dangerous voice and Winter looks closer at him. He has what looks like a pack around his shoulders and he wonders what's in that bag of his. A bomb? Guns? Winter narrows his eyes. He doesn't want to get into a firefight in the middle of the forest, even if he thinks that he'd win.

"Or else what?" Winter asks in as sarcastic a tone as he can muster as he glances around. To the right of him is an angry looking cliff that he has no real desire to try to jump from. To his left is forest which is probably his best bet. He can most likely lose the other man in the trees. He can't look behind him because he's not stupid and in front of him is the soldier.

The man glares daggers at him and Winter can't help the tiny smirk that appears on his lips. Apparently this week is just his time for making enemies. Well it's not like he hasn't done this before. "Or else I, Captain Sam Wilson, will arrest you in the name of the Kingdom of York."

The haughty way that the soldier says it makes Winter snort with laughter. He clears his throat, making sure that his pack is secure on him and then gives the man a mocking salute. "Good luck, good sir."

Winter is pretty sure that his sarcasm will be the reason that he gets shot one day as Sam pulls a gun out of the holster at his side and Winter immediately ducks into the forest to his left, cursing. It's just an undeniable part of himself, something that even the intense training that he had gone through couldn't force out of him.

A step here, a quick jerk to the right there. He can do this. He obviously is faster than the man behind him, although it seems that Wilson does have an advantage in that he seems to have traversed these woods before. It's all Winter can do not to get shot or trip over a stray branch or run into a tree.

"Just stop running before you get us both killed!" Sam calls as he sees Winter slam into a tree hard enough that he sees stars.

The tree, not sturdy by any means, immediately tilts precariously, which must've sparked the man's warning. Winter presses a hand to his head, hard, trying to quell the pain blossoming behind his eyes. "Fuck," he mutters, the very word hurting to say.

Winter makes sure that the tree isn't going to fall on him, he doesn't care if it falls on the other man, and then takes off running again. Almost immediately he knows that this isn't going to work. He can barely run, can barely see through the pain in his temple. He knows that it'll heal soon but for now he's dangerously close to collapsing.

"I know that had to hurt! Just stop and we can talk!"

"What a crock of shit," he yells over his shoulder, glancing around quickly. Through his tunneling vision he can see a tiny opening in between some vines and, after glancing behind him to make sure that Wilson is far enough off, he darts through them. It's more difficult than he had thought but his strength comes in handy as he tears them apart.

He can hear Wilson go running past the vines and he lets out a breath, glancing over at the rock walls surrounding him. In the dim light, surrounded by the rock walls on two sides and vines on the other, he can see a small symbol.

"HYDRA," he whispers, reaching up to touch the engraved head. His head jerks up, his heart starting to pound because he's sure that HYDRA isn't exactly going to be happy with him right now. He has to get somewhere safe.

Since going back isn't an option with Wilson still in his hearing, he moves forward, through the other curtain of vines. They're sticky, obviously meant to keep whatever's beyond them in hiding and he draws in a sharp breath when he sees.

The tower has to be stories high, dark browns and greens making it blend into the landscape behind it. Winter's mind immediately goes wild, wondering how long the tower has been here, wondering what is even up there. There has to be something precious if it's hidden so completely. Maybe it's even worth more than whatever's in the vial that he had stolen from the castle.

Either way, Winter pats the gun at his side, he has to get out of the way and that place seems to be the best. Winter approaches slowly, mindful of any booby traps that might be around but whoever built this tower was obviously confident that nobody would make it past the vines. He wonders whether whoever built the tower was overconfident or just stupid. Maybe a bit of both, considering what he knows about HYDRA. That thought makes him smirk.

Winter knocks on stones at the bottom of the tower but he can't find any doors and, since he's not sure how much longer he can stay conscious, he shrugs his shoulders and decides to just climb.

It's not hard to find enough footholds in the clumsy stones and he's intrigued by the downright primitive style of the tower. Maybe there isn't anything worth much up there but as long as he can rest for a while, the tower will do fine.

Winter makes the mistake of glancing down when he's halfway up and he winces, trying not to think about how his head is still pounding and what would happen if he fell. He's not going to fall, he tells himself. It's with great relief that he pushes himself through the small window frame, accidentally knocking over a small pot of flowers on the edge of the sill. Flowers?

"Hello?" He calls out, glancing around the dimly lit room. Immediately he can see workout equipment, a bookshelf, a chessboard on a small table and-

He'd already been struggling for conscious and he loses quickly when he's hit across the head with something that makes a resounding crack against his skull and seems to be red, white and blue.


	2. Chapter 2

Redwing makes a clicking sound on Steve's shoulders, his talons digging into sensitive skin as they stare down at the man on the floor of the tower. He's more rugged than Steve's ever seen a man, hair longer than any of the HYDRA agents who've passed through. There's stubble dotting his cheeks and his shoulders bulge nearly as much as Steve's do, maybe even more. Steve kind of wants to reach down and touch him but the second he starts to move forward, Redwing nips him.

"What? He's just a man," Steve says softly, clearing his throat and nudging the man with his toe. The man is dressed all in black although the mask covering his face is askew from being hit so hard with Steve's shield. Dark hair covers his eyes and Steve lets out a slow breath, giving in and leaning in to push a strand off his forehead. He's undeniably the most attractive man that Steve has ever seen, not that he's seen that many.

"Just a man," Steve whispers, swallowing hard and he's only stopped from moving forward by the man groaning softly. Steve doesn't think, simply swings his arm and hits him hard in the head with his shield.

Which probably is a problem considering that it cuts open his eyebrow and Steve is sure that it's going to bruise. He can't get blood on the floor or else the agents will know that somebody else has been in here. Or else Steve will have to make sure that it's completely taken care of.

"I hope he's not dead," Steve says to Redwing, reaching down to push the man's sleeves up slightly to grab his wrists. He freezes, his hands halfway towards him when he sees that one arm is skin while the other is covered in what looks to be sheets of metal. Steve looks up to make sure that the man is still unconscious before he grabs his wrist and lifts it up.

"I think… it's actually metal," Steve mutters to the falcon, feeling the weight and flicking his nail across the material to see if he can try to pull it off. There's not even a seam and Steve glances up higher, where the man's arm would meet his shoulder. He's wearing what looks like a bulletproof vest, packs of weapons across his chest and buckling on his back.

Redwing lets out a low hoot and Steve shrugs. "I know how it sounds but I can't think of any other explanation. Maybe he really is with HYDRA. What if he is? Then I could trust him, at least, if he wants to help people. Although it doesn't explain why he's here."

The clock chimes low and Steve frowns, realizing that he's still holding the man's metal wrist. "Oh they're going to be here soon. I have to hide him." Another hoot from Redwing and Steve turns to look at the falcon. "I don't have a choice, do I? If they find him here…"

Trying to ignore the fact that the man's arm is decidedly not normal, he grasps the man's wrists and drags him towards the small closet area where Steve keeps his clothing. He knows that an agent will be by soon to check his progress for the day and he has a feeling that the strange man will be shot dead on sight if he's discovered. Steve doesn't want to risk that.

When the man is securely hidden away, Steve lets out a breath, turning around in circles a few times, not sure what to do with himself. "What am I going to do? There's a man in my closet. There's a man _with a metal arm in my closet_."

Redwing lets out a small noise of agreement, although he sounds more frustrated than Steve did and Steve knows it's because of the risk of having him here.

"What HYDRA doesn't know won't hurt them. I'm supposed to be helping people and if he came in here then maybe he needs help? Maybe HYDRA even sent him here so that I can help him? Did you ever think about that? You know that it's nearly impossible to get through those vines," Steve says, trying to convince himself more than the falcon as he looks at the closet. Steve hasn't decided what he's going to do when the man wakes up but that's a worry for another time.

It's not a moment too soon when the sound of footsteps echo through the tower. Without any time to put it away, Steve shoves the shield on top of the man and rushes towards the chess board, sitting down and picking up a pawn. It's not Pierce this time and Steve tries not to let out a visible reaction when he sees Brock Rumlow step through the door.

Rumlow is kinder than Pierce, in his own ways. He seems to have a stronger sense of duty. There's something about him that gets under Steve's skin in a way that he doesn't understand, in a way that few of the other agents do. Rumlow raises his eyebrows when he looks at Steve, his face tight and stressed. "You look like you haven't been exercising enough," Rumlow says, in way of greeting.

"I could say the same about you," Steve responds smoothly. The one thing that he can say about Rumlow is that he can say whatever he wants to the man and generally he just laughs.

This time his lips only twitch, his arms crossing over his chest. Perhaps the man is tired? Steve is curious but he doesn't ask, knowing that he won't get a straight answer. He doesn't deserve an answer, after all. Rumlow is only here to check on his progress and then he'll leave.

"Do you have food? Everything you need?"

Steve nods jerkily, trying not to think about the slightly smaller dinner that he'd had the previous night. Rumlow doesn't steal his food at least. "When am I getting out of here?"

"What has Pierce told you?" Rumlow asks, looking around at the paintings on the walls with distaste. Since Rumlow is more serious, he doesn't tend to care for the fact that Steve has so much free time but he doesn't have the seniority to say anything about it.

"Not enough. Apparently I'm not ready yet. Respectfully I disagree, though. I've done all of my training. I'm fit. I can fight. I'm ready to go out. I want to go out tomorrow," Steve says, knowing that it's pointless as Rumlow's face just gets darker.

The agent is obviously hiding something and Steve is dying of curiosity over what it could be. What could be bothering the man so much? "You're not ready yet. Besides, there are things you don't know. HYDRA is… experiencing some difficulties."

"But I can help! That's what I was made for. I want to help HYDRA. I want to help the world become a better place," Steve stresses, needing them all to understand that he's ready. He's ready and it's not just because he wants to see the explosions tomorrow.

Rumlow turns to give him a glare that would melt the skin off a lesser man. Steve just sits up straighter in his chair. He's not afraid of Rumlow. "Shut up and take your orders, Soldier. The answer is no and nobody's going to change their mind. You're stuck here until further notice."

"But-"

"I said no! Now stop talking or else I'll make sure you don't get fed for a week," Rumlow snaps and he reaches over, grabbing one of Steve's oranges and squishing it between his hands. Steve watches with horror, the pulps squeezing through Rumlow's fingers and it's the kind of thing that hits him where he hurts. There's not a lot of ways that they can punish him besides restricting his food and putting him on a heavier workout schedule. "I believe you should be doing other things right now. Don't slack."

Steve doesn't say anything else as Rumlow leaves, his body tense. He takes a deep breath as Redwing flies out from where he was hidden from the agent and settles himself on Steve's shoulder again. "How can they act the way that they do?" Steve asks morosely, slumping a bit in the chair. "How can they act like I haven't done everything they've asked? All I want is one thing. I want to help people… why can't I be helped just once?"

As Steve looks down at the table, Redwing nudges Steve's cheek with his beak and Steve smiles slightly. "We should go see whether that man is dead, shouldn't we? I probably shouldn't have hit him so hard."

Steve will have to clean up the orange later but for now he heads towards the closet, opening it and wincing as the man crumples out, falling onto his face. Steve grabs his shield, hooking it onto his back to ensure that he has it close and moves towards the man. "He's got something here," Steve murmurs, grabbing the pack that's wrapped around the man's shoulder and pulling it open.

"There's a bottle of something…" Steve says as he shakes it gently, watching as the blue liquid froths up and then settles almost immediately. Steve doesn't know what it is and so he sets it back into the bag and, after a moment's consideration, puts the bag into a vase in the corner. He doesn't want the man to think that Steve's trying to steal from him but it must be important if he's carrying it all this way.

Redwing nips at his cheek again and Steve glances over at him, nodding. "You're right. I should probably…" he trails off, moving quickly and efficiently. It's not every day that he has a man on his floor but he's trained enough with HYDRA operatives. He has rope in the utility cabinet and he grabs it, maneuvering the man with ease into a chair and tying him up expeditiously.

The man doesn't even flinch as he moves him, although Steve can feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. He assumes that the man is at least going to live. He hopes. That would be horrible if he didn't. Steve would've killed an innocent man… and he would have to explain that to HYDRA. He's not sure which is worse. The first would weigh on his conscious forever but he's not sure what kind of punishment he would get.

Steve shivers, reaching up to pet down Redwing's head when the falcon looks at him curiously. "Nothing," Steve says as he glances up at the clock. It's almost time for his weight training but he can skip it for one day, right? He can skip it for one day because he doesn't want to let this man out of his sights. He goes to pick up one of his approved reading lists and sits in the corner to read.

* * *

Winter doesn't think that he's ever had a headache the way that he does now, before or after the experiments that made him into the super soldier that he is today. He doesn't know where he is and he only vaguely remembers where he came from. There'd been a mission, a serum similar to the one that had made him. He'd been sent to retrieve it from the palace. HYDRA had been willing to pay handsomely.

He keeps his eyes closed as he moves his arms the slightest amount, realizing that somebody has him. He's tied up. Winter knows that he's strong and could probably break out immediately but he decides that he should stay for the moment at least. It's good to know what the hell is going on.

"I know that you're awake. I can see you moving."

Winter's eyes snap open and he looks over, surprised when he sees a man with a bird on his shoulder standing and watching him. His throat immediately goes dry and he tells himself it has nothing to do with the man's broad shoulders, sharp jawline and deep blue eyes that seem to be boring straight through him. He's pale, paler than looks to be healthy and has a look more suspicious than he's seen on HYDRA agents. He's also the most gorgeous man that Winter has ever seen.

"I'm assuming you're not a member of the Avengers?" Winter asks, referring to the nickname that people use for the Royal Guard. It's a silly nickname and they all know it but it's stuck.

The man in front of him frowns. "The Avengers?"

Winter shakes his head. "Never mind. So who are you then?"

At Winter's question, the man's frown deepens. "You broke into my tower and you ask me who I am? Who are you?"

"My codename is the Winter Soldier. Everybody calls me Winter. I was on the run and I-" Winter suddenly realizes and glances around, his eyes narrowing as he tries to figure out where this strange man might've hidden his bag. "Where's my bag? Did you do something with my bag?"

The man's eyes narrow as the bird on his shoulder flaps it's wings. The man seems to settle the bird and it calms down, although still looks at Winter with a far too human look. "I've hidden it and you're not getting it back until you answer some of my questions. Now-"

"It's in the vase," Winter says, not even needing a response. The look on the man's face is enough to let him know that Winter's guess was spot on.

Winter's so busy staring at the vase that he doesn't notice the shield flying at him until it's too late. Then he doesn't see much for a while.

When he wakes up it's to the bird pecking at his cheek and Winter has to remind himself that he's hiding his cards. He doesn't want the man to know that he can break through the bonds easily until he knows what he's up against. "You need to stop doing that. And if your pigeon touches me again I'll-" Winter starts.

The bird and the man let out nearly identical squawks. "Redwing is a falcon," the man snaps, crossing his arms over a shirt that's much too tight for the overly large muscles that he has going on. Winter tells himself not to stare. It's not as if he's never seen attractive people before. This man just seems to be more attractive than most. "You say you're the Winter Soldier? Who is that? Is that why you have a metal arm? Because you're a soldier?"

Winter sighs, flexing his muscles and testing the weight of the rope. It's thick but nothing he can't get out and he considers it. But there's no real threat yet and, while he really doesn't want to stay here at least he's away from HYDRA and the Avengers. He's surprised by how nonchalant that Steve is about his arm. Most people freak out upon seeing it and he's surprised that Steve didn't.

"You could say that, I guess. I lost my arm in an accident. They replaced it with something to make me more efficient." It's not everything there is to it but he figures that the less that the other man knows the better.

Steve nods again, looking like he's contemplating saying something. Winter prepares himself, figuring that it's just as well that Steve shows the disgust or whatever he's going to now. Winter tries to tell himself that he's used to it but sometimes he wonders if he ever really will be. He hates admitting that honestly it still kind of hurts. Not that he'd ever tell any HYDRA agents that. "It's heavy. Is it hard to carry around?"

That shocks Winter and he looks at Steve oddly. The look obviously doesn't seem to bother Steve, the other boy simply staring at him. "Uh, I guess. I try not to think about it. Now, as fascinating as this conversation is, do you plan on letting me go?"

"Oh," Steve says, as if he just remembered and he frowns, clears his throat. "Right. So what are you doing here in my tower? I never get visitors, except… I never have anybody come up here. It's nearly impossible. Why are you here?"

Winter hears where Steve stops and then starts in a different direction and he finds that he just gets more curious about the man the longer that he hears him talk. He reminds himself that all that matters is the serum. He has to take that away. He'll probably take it to HYDRA but if not then he'll have to figure out something to do with it.

"There's no particular reason. I was sent on a mission by HYDRA to find something from the palace, the thing that's in that bag. And now I'm on the run from everybody because I have it. Your tower is just what I happened to find. Happy?"

Some emotion flashes over the other man's face, fast enough that Winter can't tell what it is but it doesn't look like it's good for him. "You're with HYDRA?"

"Heard of them?" Winter asks with a smirk, expecting terror or concern but instead there's… relief? Why the hell is the man relieved?

The man looks at Winter for a long few moments before he nods and turns away to confer with his bird. Winter stares at them as the man whispers something and the bird seems to… disagree. Winter has no idea what world he's come into but it's certainly not his own.

"Alright, Winter, then. I want to offer you a deal," the man says and Winter raises his eyebrows, inclining his head to show that he's listening. The man jumps, using his obviously considerable strength to pull himself up onto a ledge, pointing towards paintings of fireworks on the wall. "Do you know what these are?"

Winter frowns, wondering just what is going on. Does this man know something about HYDRA that Winter doesn't? He hates being caught in situations unawares. "The fireworks that they do for the kingdom and the long lost prince?"

"Fireworks…" the man breathes and Winter stares at him and at the bird who he swears is nodding on his shoulder but that's completely ridiculous. "Tomorrow night they're going to explode in the sky and I want to see them. You will escort me there and as soon as you bring me home again then I'll give you back your bag."

"That's not going to happen. I'm a wanted man, you see. And while I know that I can fight my way out of any situation I'd just prefer not to. Understand?"

"Look, there's going to be no fighting-"

"There's always fighting."

The man glares and the bird seems to puff up. "Well it doesn't bother me if you don't get your bag back but let me tell you that this tower was built for things like that. You can try as hard as you want but there's no way that you're going to find your bag. I saw the vial. It looks valuable. The only way that you're getting it back is if you take me to the kingdom and back."

Winter weighs his options. He has a few of them. He figures that no matter how buff that the man is he can still take him. It still weighs on Winter that he doesn't know anything about him and he really doesn't want to risk it when he's made it so far. Winter sets his jaw. "So I take you to the kingdom, show you the fireworks and take you back and you'll give me back my bag? Can't you see the fireworks from here?"

"It's not the same as seeing them up close. They're far away from here." Winter can't help but feel suspicious over the mission but the man just looks so sincere. He looks as if he wants nothing more than to simply see some fireworks and maybe help some old women across the street. So different than who Winter is. It almost makes him hurt but the Winter Soldier doesn't get hurt. He's not allowed to be hurt.

"Fuck, fine," Winter snaps, shaking his head when the man moves to let him out of his bonds. It takes more than Winter had thought it would to get out of the bonds. A full three flexes of his muscles but they fray and snap just as he knew that they would. "I will warn you not to underestimate me. If you try to betray me…"

There's something very sick looking about the other man now, even more pale than before which Winter hadn't thought possible. "Don't worry, Winter. I won't be underestimating you. I'm Steve, by the way," Steve says, pulling the shield off of where it sat strapped to his back and throwing it. Winter watches as it wedges in the wall perfectly, just on the target that the man was obviously aiming for. "And you should know not to underestimate me either."

Winter does not find that hot. He really doesn't. And he tells himself that six more times, just to be sure.


End file.
